USMNT Advances To Gold Cup Semifinal With Shootout Win Against Canada

CINCINNATI (July 9, 2023) – Following a dramatic 2-2 draw in extra time, the U.S. Men’s National Team utilized two penalty kick saves from Matt Turner to defeat Canada 3-2 in a shootout before a raucous 24,979 fans at TQL Stadium. With the win, the USMNT advances to face Panama in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Semifinals on Wednesday, July 12 at SnapDragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif. (7:30 p.m. ET; FS1, Univision, TUDN).

After a near scoreless phase of regular time, the USMNT grabbed an 88^th-minute lead via a signature header from second-half substitute Brandon Vazquez, playing front of his FC Cincinnati home fans. The advantage slipped away four minutes later in second-half stoppage time when a penalty kick from Canadian defender Steven Vitoria sent the game into extra time. Canada took the lead in extra time as forward Jacob Shaffelburg found the back of the net in the 109^th minute, only for U.S. midfielder Gianluca Busio to force an own goal off Canada’s Scott Kennedy five minutes later.

In the penalty kick shootout, Matt Turner made saves on Canada’s first two attempts, while the USA’s Cade Cowell, Busio and Jesús Ferreira converted their spot kicks to push the team to the semifinal.

The game began in unusual – and unfortunate – circumstances. Assistant referee Christian Espinosa of Mexico was forced out of the game after being hit in the face with a fiercely struck ball in the first minute. After an extended delay, the game continued as Caleb Wales of Trinidad and Tobago – who ran the line for the day’s earlier quarterfinal between Guatemala and Jamaica – took over the flag.

In a disjointed first half defined by tension and caution, the USA carved out the first chance when a Julian Gressel corner kick in the 26th minute bounced dangerously around the Canadian penalty area. Jesús Ferreira – hunting his seventh goal in three games at this Gold Cup – pounced on the loose ball eight yards from goal and shot on the turn. His effort was blocked by sprawling Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio.

Canada’s best chance of the first half came three minutes into the 12 minutes of stoppage time. The U.S. defense stumbled to open space up the right flank for forward Junior Hoilett, whose low cross was turned over the crossbar by U.S. defender Bryan Reynolds.

The half ended with another dangerous moment in the U.S. penalty area. A delayed VAR review for a potential handball on Miles Robinson was eventually waved off due to an earlier push by defender Moise Bombito on Busio in the build-up to defender’s Zack McGraw’s on-target header.

Heavy U.S. pressure led to a golden opportunity for Busio in the 69th minute. Collecting a low pass from Gressel at the top of the box, the midfielder took a clever touch past a defender before the ball popped loose. It fell back to him and his low shot forced a fine save from Canada goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair at full stretch.

Six minutes later, FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez – whose entry as a second-half substitute drew a resounding roar from the local fans– hit just wide. His outside-of-the-foot effort from the edge of the area after a searching ball from Cade Cowell went just a whisper wide of the post. 

The USA’s breakthrough finally came in the 88th minute and it was the local hero Vazquez who raced in behind the Canadian defense to head home an inch-perfect cross from left back DeJuan Jones. It would not stand as the winner thanks to a swift response from Canada. Two minutes into second-half stoppage time, Robinson was whistled for a handball inside the U.S. box. The referee pointed to the spot and Vitoria – who had been caught flat-footed on Vazquez’s goal –hit his kick down the middle and past Turner to force extra time.  

Canada substitute Shaffelburg found the back of the net in the 109th minute against the run of play. The Nashville SC attacker picked up the ball in his own half, wriggled past Ferreira and backed up defender Matt Miazga before his low shot was deflected and nestled in the back of Turner’s net.

The back-and-forth business continued as extra time wore on. Busio carved out another opening in the 115th minute as a pair of flicked-on headers from Miazga and forward Jordan Morris landed at the feet of the Venezia midfielder. St. Clair cleared his effort from danger, but only as far as Kennedy, the nearest Canadian defender, which sent the ball bundling into his own goal.

With the score tied at 2-2 after extra time, a penalty shootout was needed to send its winner to the semifinals. U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner saved the first two Canadian kicks from Vitoria and midfielder Liam Fraser. While Vazquez put his opening attempt over the bar, forward Cade Cowell, Busio and Ferreira all hit the net. The game ended when forward Charles-Andreas Brym hit the crossbar with the final Canada attempt, triggering huge celebrations as the U.S. advanced to its 16th Gold Cup semifinal. 

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA - Brandon Vazquez (DeJuan Jones), 88th minute: The opening goal came deep into the second half and it was classic Vazquez. Dominant in the air, the striker timed his run perfectly to outpace Canadian captain Steven Vitoria and snap a towering header to the back of the net to send the Cincinnati fans into wild celebrations. It was the 24-year-old striker’s fourth international goal since making his debut earlier this year. USA 1, CAN 0 

CAN - Steven Vitoria (Penalty Kick), 92nd minute: A ball sent into the left side of the box for Rusell-Rowe bounced up awkwardly and struck the arm of U.S. defender Miles Robinson. VAR review led to a penalty kick call and Vitoria stepped up to slot home down the middle. USA 1, CAN 1

CAN - Jacob Shaffelburg (unassisted), 109th minute: Shaffelburg drove down the left from inside his own half. After getting past Ferreira, he fired a low left-footedshot that deflected off the calf of defender Matt Miazga before knuckling past Matt Turner and into the U.S. goal. USA 1, CAN 2

USA - Scott Kennedy (own goal), 115th minute: Gianluca Busio fired a shot from close range after a pair of flicked headers from Matt Miazga and Jordan Morris. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair saved the effort but the ball ended up in the back of the Canadian net after the rebound bobbled in off the face of defender Scott Kennedy. USA 2, CAN 2

Additional Notes:

• The USMNT has gone to penalty shootouts seven times in official competition, advancing on five occasions.

• The USMNT moves to 17-10-13 all-time against Canada. The team holds a 10-8-6 edge in official competition and 4-0-2 advantage in Gold Cup play.

• By virtue of his two saves in the shootout, goalkeeper Matt Turner won Bud Light Man of the Match and helped the USMNT to its first win on penalty kicks since the 2005 Gold Cup Final against Panama.

• Brandon Vazquez’s 88^th-minute goal was the fourth of his international career and third of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.

• DeJuan Jones collected his second career assist on Vazquez’s goal. The left back registered his first assist in the group stage finale against Trinidad and Tobago last Sunday.

• Defender Jalen Neal left the match with a groin injury and was replaced by Aaron Long.

• With an average age of 24 years, 187 days, tonight’s lineup was the sixth youngest the USMNT has put out in a knockout round match. All five of the lineups that were younger were utilized since June 2021.

• USMNT head coach B.J. Callaghan made one change from the lineup that faced Trinidad and Tobago last Sunday, inserting Julian Gressel for Cristian Roldan.

• James Sands became the 11^th USMNT player to appear in 10 consecutive Gold Cup matches. A substitute in his Gold Cup debut against Haiti on July 11, 2021, Sands has started each of his last nine Gold Cup appearances.

• At 19 years, 319 days, Jalen Neal became the youngest center back to appear for the USMNT in a knockout round match. He beats out Steve Pecher, who started in central defense for the USA in a World Cup qualifying playoff with Canada on Dec. 22, 1976 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

• Julian Gressel earned his first start in official competition and second start overall. Gressel also started his debut on Jan. 25, 2023 against Serbia.

• The USMNT is 29-8-6 all-time in the Gold Cup knockout round and 11-0-2 in Gold Cup quarterfinal matches.

- U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT –

Match: U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Canada
Date: July 9, 2023
Competition: 2023 Gold Cup – Quarterfinal
Venue: TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio
Attendance: 24,979
Kickoff: 8:06 p.m. ET
Weather: 78 degrees, few clouds

Scoring Summary: 1 2          ET1     ET2     FT        PKs

USA                            0         1          0          1          2          3
CAN                            0         1          0          1          2          2

USA – Brandon Vazquez (DeJuan Jones)     88th minute
CAN – Steven Vitoria (penalty)                      90+3
CAN – Jacob Shaffelburg                               109
USA – Scott Kennedy (Own Goal)                 114

Penalty Kick Summary:
CAN – Steven Vitoria (saved), Liam Fraser (saved), Kamal Miller (goal), Jacen Russel-Rowe (goal), Charles-Andréas Brym (missed)

USA – Brandon Vazquez (missed), Cade Cowell (goal), Gianluca Busio (goal), Jesús Ferreira (goal)
USA wins penalty shootout 3-2

Lineups:

USA: 1-Matt Turner (capt.); 5-Bryan Reynolds (10-Cristian Roldan, 113), 12-Miles Robinson (3-Aaron Long, 91), 20-Jalen Neal (4-Matt Miazga, 73), (15-DeJuan Jones; 6-Gianluca Busio, 8-James Sands, 14-Djordje Mihailovic (19-Brandon Vazquez, 73); 22-Julian Gressel (13-Jordan Morris, 91), 9-Jesús Ferreira, 17-Alex Zendejas (11-Cade Cowell, 63)

Substitutes not used: 18-Sean Johnson, 23-Gaga Slonina, 2-DeAndre Yedlin, 21-John Tolkin, 24-Jackson Yueill

Head coach: B.J. Callaghan

CAN: 1-Dayne St. Clair; 4-Kamal Miller, 5-Steven Vitoria, 9-Lucas Cavallini (17-Jacen Russell-Rowe, 72), 10-Junior Hoilett (capt.) (13-Jacob Shaffelburg, 86), 11-Liam Millar (19-Charles-Andreas Brym, 86), 14-Moise Bombito (3-Liam Fraser, 60), 15-Zac McGraw (23-Scott Kennedy, 91), 20-Ali Ahmed (8-David Wotherspoon, 73), 21-Jonathan Osorio, 22-Richie Laryea

Substitutes not used: 16-Tom McGill, 2-Zachary Brault-Guillard, 6-Dominick Zator, 7-Jayden Nelson, 12-Victor Loturi

Head coach: John Herdman

Stats Summary: USA / CAN

Shots: 21 / 8
Shots on Goal: 8 / 2
Saves: 0 / 7
Corner Kicks: 13 / 3
Fouls: 15 / 18
Offside: 2 / 1

Misconduct Summary:

CAN – Lucas Cavallini (Caution)                    42nd minute
CAN – Zac McGraw (Caution)                       56
CAN – Kamal Miller (Caution)                        57       
USA – Cade Cowell (Caution)                        96
USA - Matt Miazga (Caution) 120+1

Officials:

Referee: Marco Ortiz (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Christian Espinosa (MEX) (Replaced by Caleb Wales (TRI))
Assistant Referee 2: Jorge Sanchez (MEX)
Fourth Official: Oshane Nation (JAM)
VAR: Enrique Santander (MEX)
Assistant VAR: Ricardo Montero (CRC)

Bud Light Man of the Match: Matt Turner